Railroad-crossing signal



H.'I. RIDOUT.

RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL. APPLlcATloN FILED 1AN.31,1921.

H. I. RIDUUT.

RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN,3|.1921.

Patl'lted Dec. 13, '1921;

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

11.1. Rm'ou. RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 3l.

Patented m13, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

Application iled January 31, 1221. Serial No. 441,327.

To all Lo/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE. J. RIDoUT, a citizen of the United States,residing at F loresville, in the county of Wilson and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Railroad-.Crossing Signal, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby a highway signalmay-be raised and lowered automatically, at a railroad crossing, by apassingA train.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in top plan, a device constructed inaccordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side Yelevation wherein thesignal is raised; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 1, thesignal being lowered; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4--4`of Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken Vthrough one raill and showingone of the operating members `in bottomplan. "L

The numerals 1 and 2-denote the rails of a track, the ties appearing at3. A first operating member 4 in the form of a lever, is fulcrumed at 5on the rail 1. A retractile spring 6 is connected at one end to thelever 4, below the fulcrumV of the lever, the spring being connected atits opposite-end to one of the ties 3. A second operating member 7 isprovided, the same being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, as shown at 8,on the rail 1. The fulcrum element 8 carriesy a spacer 28, interposedbetween the operating member or leverf7 and the rail 1, as shown inFig.5. A latch 9 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends, as shownat 10, on therail 1. A retractile spring 11 is connected at one end to the latch 9belowthe fulcrum of the latch, the oppositeend of the spring vbeingconnected to one of the ties 3. The latch9 is carried by a bracket. onVthe rail 1, the bracket having a stop-70 which limits the swinging4movementof "the latch, responsive' tothe spring I11. The numeral 12marks' a spring keeper having an upstanding finger or projection 32. Thekeeper 12 is, adapted,

` rail 1.

at one end, to interlock with the lower end ofthe latch 9the oppositeend of the keeper being securely mounted, as indicated at 14, on theright of way; Guides 15 of any desired construction are carried by someor all of the ties 3. A connection 16 is mounted for reciprocation inthe guides 15. The connection may comprise a cable connected to thelower end of the operating member 4, the element 16 extending into aslot 18 in the lowerend of the second operating member 7. A securingelement 19 entends across the slot 18 and is mounted in the operatingmember 7 one end of the element 17 being mounted on the securing member19. The part 19 carries a link 2() connected pivotally to a rod 21. Therod 21 is connected pivotally to the latch 9, below the fulcrum 10 ofthe latch.

, The rails 1 and 2 are supplied with bearings 22, a bearing post 23being located in alinement with the bearings 22, transversely of thetrack 1 2; The'nu'meral 24 denotes, generally, a shaft, which is acomposite structure. The shaft 24 includes a part 25 journaled inthebearings 22, and a part 26 journaled in the post 23, the parts 25 and 26of the shaft being, connected by a torsion spring 27, 'An arm 29 issecured to the arm 25 of the shaft 24 and is located'finside the rail 1,inv closev relationthereto. The arm 29 coperates with astop 87 onv theThe numeral 30 marks a vertically swinging member havingangularlydisposed yarms 31, located on opposite sides of the post 23,

'24. The numeral 33 denotes an extension,

pivoted at 34' to the arms 31 of the member 30. The extension 33 may beU-shaped, and in the bend of the extension, aweight 35 is secured asshown at 36. Oneof the arms 31 of the member 30 has a stop 37 Vwithwhich the extension 333 engages. VA signal 36 is pivoted at 39 to thememberBO, the said member carrying a projecting shield 40.

Standards 41 are mounted closely adjacent to the post 23. The standards41 are surrounded by compression springs 42, 'exerting an upwardpressure on a bar 43 which is slidably mounted on the standards. Theupward movement of the bar 43 under the action ofthe springs 42, islimited by nuts 44 on the standards 41. A post 45 is disposed in thesame vertical plane with the the function of the springsbeing toreturnthe signal from araised position to a lowered position, underconditions which will be pointed out hereinafter. The extension 33 restson the ground, out of engagement with the stop 37 as shown in Fig. 2.The eirtension 33 andthe element 35'pconstitute a counterpoise for themember 30.l l/Vhen the member 30 starts to swing from a raised positiontowarda lowered position, the extension 33 is out of engagement'with thestop 37, for a time. When the member arrives nearly at the raisedposition shown in Fig. 2, the end of the extension 33 rests on theground for a time, before the member 30 arrives completely in a raisedposition. In view of the foregoing, it will be clear Vthat thecounterpoise V33---35 exercises its function at the proper time but doesnot, on the one hand, impede the movement of the member 30, when saidmember'starts to move to a lowered position, nor, upon the other hand,does the counterpoise act on the member Y30 when said member is almostin a raised po' sition, and requires no counterpoise actien.

When the member- 30ris in a raised position, the arm 29 on the shaft 24is in. an approximately horizontal position and is A.interengaged withthe latch 9,Y as indicated lin Fig.'2, the spring 11 being underincreased tension. The free end of the spring keeper V12 rests againstthe end of the latch 9, as

shown in Fig. 2, but is not'interlocked positively with the latch, asshown in Fig. 3.

Y Suppose that a train is moving along the track V1-2 in the directionof the arrow A. The first wheel of the train, coacts with the operatingmember 4 andti1ts the operating member. The connection 16 is pulled,the.

Y latch 9 is tilted and disengaged from the arm Y Vs wings'out frombehindv the shield Y exercises its obvious functlon.

i I/Vlien the latch is tiltedl as aforesaid, the spring keeper 12interlocks withvthe lower end of thelatch, as Vshown in Fig. 3. The'vlatch 9 Vis prevented from -movng,.responsive' to thev spring 11, andVthere is no pull, due to the spring, on the connection.16.v As aconsequence, the operating member 4 remains in Y the position of Fig. 3,and does not extendV upwardly far enough so that it can be struck YVforcibly by every passing wheel.

'Ihe foremost wheel on the train arrives at length upon the secondoperating member 7, the cable 16 being carried tothe right Y. (Fig. 3)and the operating member 4 being restored tothe upright position of Fig.2. The foremost wheel engages the arm 29 and rotates the shaft 24,excessive jar or shock being avoided, owing to the presenceof the spring27. The member 30 is swung toa raised position, the extension 33 assumesthe position of Fig. 2, the bar 43 is slid down'- wardly by contact withthe arms 31 -of the gate, and the springs 42 are compressed. The torsionspring27 is strong enough so that it overcomes the springs 42 and putsthem under compression when the rotation of the shaft 24 is begun. Whenthe springs 42 have been compressed, continued rotation of the shaftV 24places the spring 27 under tension. rIhe arm 1 29 swings downwardlytowardpa lhorizontal position and engages, first, the linger 32 onthefspring .keeper 12. The keeper 12 is disengaged ,from the latch 9,and the latch 9 is rendered responsive to the spring 11. The spring 11swings the lower end of the latch 9'to the right (Fig. 3) until thelower end ofthe latch engages therstop 70. lThe latch 9 now is sopositioned that, when the arm 29 is swung downwardly, far enough, thefree end of thearm will interlock with the latch 9, the member 30 beingheld in a raised position.,

I f desired, the member 30 may be so shaped and mounted that, when themember 30 swings to a closed position, the'shield'40 or the signal 38will not descend Vinto an automobile or other vehicle which happens to.be beneath the member 30 at the time that the same `moves downwardly.

1, In a device of the class described, a car.- actuated operatingmember; a movable latch; aconnection between the operating of the shaftto disengage the keeper from the latch while the `arm is moving towardengagement with the latch. Y 2. A. device of theclass described,constructedas set forth in claim 1, and further characterizedby theVfact that said Vpart of the Akeeper is'in the form of an upstandingfinger disposed in thepath of theV 'armi` 3. In a .device ofthe classdescribed, a car-V ilo actuated operating member; amovable latch; aconnection between theuoperating member andthe latch; a shaft supportedfor rocking movement and comprising coperating parts; a torsion springconnecting said parts of the shaft; a signal member con nected with onepart of the shaft; a car-actuated arm on the other part of the shaft andengageable with the latch; and means responsive to the movement of theshaft for disengaging the keeper from the latch while the arm is movingtoward engagelnentv with the latch.

4. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim 8,and further characterized by resilient means for initiating the movementof the signal member toward a lowered position, said means beingrendered potential by the movement of the signal member toward a raisedposition. Y

5. A device of the class described, constructed as set forth in claim l,and further characterized by the provision of a counterpoise pivoted tothe signal member, the signal member having a Stop which engages thecounterpoise and transfers the weight thereof to the signal member whenthe signal member approaches a lowered position, means being providedfor taking the Weight of the counterpoise ofi' the stop, when the signalmember approaches a raised position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiXedmy signature .in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE J. RIDGUT.

Witnesses:

J. M. Trr'roN, S. K. FRANKLIN.

